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Frankly, the sound improvement far exceeded my expectations! For those of you agonizing over which amps and cables to use, make sure you've optimized ROOM ACOUSTICS FIRST! Replacing my bulky wall unit and RPTV with a low cabinet/flat panel made a night and day difference. I want to gather equipment for room acoustics/speaker measurements and use it to guide all future room treatments.
 
I really kind of hate Sony, but they make some of the best T.V. monitors in existence, IMHO.

I'd never been a Sony fan either, but they really nailed the technology with this latest XBR4/5 line. I read extensively on the AVS Forum before finally choosing the 52" XBR4, and am 100% satisfied with it. In fact, the built-in speakers are pretty da*n good too!
 
I'm not from Tampa so I don't frequent this thread.. but I'm glad I stopped by today!

Here's what I want to say about your new set up, Alan....

SAWWWEEEET!!! WOW!!!

Seriously, I really like it.... it's truly superb now, just the way it should be. I can only imagine the improvement clearing out the middle has done and pulling them out. Not to mention, with Jason's spikes, imaging must be killer!

I like it.... a lot.

Two thumbs up!

Joey ;)
 
Well, Joey, you're always welcome to visit!

Alan,

I applied to 3 Florida residency programs, so if I get interviews there, you betcha that your place is one of five I need to visit aside from the hospital.

1. Alan's place
2. Miami beach
3. Disneyworld

Or is it...

1. Miami beach
2. Alan's place
3. Disneyworld

????

Tough choices.... :).
 
Alan,

I applied to 3 Florida residency programs, so if I get interviews there, you betcha that your place is one of five I need to visit aside from the hospital.

1. Alan's place
2. Miami beach
3. Disneyworld

Or is it...

1. Miami beach
2. Alan's place
3. Disneyworld

????

Tough choices.... :).

Joey, don't forget my place! :music:
 
Joey,
In the Tampa area you have Alan's, Rampage's, Brad's and my place and I'm sure I'm leaving out one or two others. We're within about an hour and half drive to Disney World but much closer to the beaches. My dog suggested bringing a bottle of merlot when you visit.
 
George and Craig,

Oh yes! Definitely I'd like to visit. I just didn't want to "invite myself" when I posted earlier... but heck yeah. Would love to come by and chitchat. Hopefully these Florida interviews come late in January when I have more free time.

Joey :)
 
Your'e always welcome. I'd be dissapointed if you came to Tampa and didn't stop by.
 
I think most Tampa Bay area ML Club members already know about our local Tampa Bay Listening Society. However, for those who don't, please check out our new and improved website... www.thetbls.com

The forum is now up and running, and we'll be incorporating it with the full website shortly. The TBLS meets the FIRST Tues of every month, and various members hold informal listening sessions from time to time. Check us out!
 
Just got back from out of town. Looks like TBLS *IS* meeting tonight, 7pm, at MikeVE's shop. I just got the CIAudio VPC-3 passive, and will bring it with me to demo in Mike's setup. We can also finalize next Sats round-robin listening session(s) at the meeting. If any other Tampa area ML clubbers are interested, let us know (would be ideal if you register at our TBLS website for additional non-ML audio chat/listening). Hopefully will see most of y'all tonight!
 
Yesterday, the Tampa group held another round-robin listening session.

We started off at Brad's, and listened to his magnificent CLS IIz setup (with paired Vandersteen subs) driven by a new ARC pre-amp (? model) into ARC VTM 200 monoblocks. Source was a modded Sony SCD-1. Brad has a dedicated listening room with extensive acoustic treatments, and the result was superb... very natural, wide, and deep soundstage, with excellent dynamics, and an overall smooth presentation... definitely "analogue" sounding despite using only digital sources. First time I've ever heard the CLS' and I was quite impressed. George took pictures of his setup, but you can't appreciate the details of Brad's custom-built furniture, CLS stands, and overall setup, unless you see/hear it in person.

Next, we headed to Craig's, to hear his latest Summit system, now employing the Electrocompaniet Nemo monoblocks, fed by his Wadia 581i into an Art Audio Pre (? model). Craig too, has employed extensive acoustic treatments (with the full approval and masterful decorating touch of his wonderful wife
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), and the entire setup yielded (as usual) superb sound, comparable to Brad's, perhaps with a bit more bass dynamics and detail with the Summit's woofers. The E'companiet Nemo's certainly delivered prodigious power to his hungry stat panels. We also listened to his Wadia direct to amp, but all agreed the addition of the Art Audio linestage expanded the soundstage, and resulted in a more musical presentation.

Lastly, we schlepped some of Brad's and Craig's acoustic panels and tube traps over to my place. After establishing a sonic baseline in my overly reverberant family/listening room, we deployed a variety of panels and traps in various locations. It was quite obvious that a healthy dose of acoustic absorption will readily cure most of my rooms ills. The effect was not subtle at all. Nor was the look on my wife's face when she walked in and saw all the acoustic accoutrements! My 2008/2009 audio challenge will clearly be how to incorporate said treatments, while maintaining harmony in both our decor and marriage! Sounds like a great premise for a reality TV show! Aside from the acoustic experiment, the three wise men (Brad, Craig, and George) all felt that my Squeezebox/Benchmark source, via the CIAudio VPC-3, into the Belles amp, sounded far better than using the Denon 3808 as a Pre/Pro. Once I get my Modwright pre back (after blowing the power supply last week), we'll see whether SS or tubes prevail.

Part II of our listening caravan will be hitting George's to hear his latest tweaks. Stay tuned for updates!
 
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Why I'm a bit out of focus is because I could not make it in the frame before the camera took the picture.
 
George could be working for Tone Audio, doing photo shoots!

Here's a (lousy) pic I shot during the acoustic treatment experiment at my place.
 

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Wow George,

More fantastic photography!!! Brad's CLS IIz setup, I mean the whole system is what audiophile wetdreams are made of. I can only imagine how great it sounds.

Craigs Summit system and those Gorgeous Electrocompaniet Nemo Monoblocks, Gad Zooks!!! I love the way all the acoustic treatments blend into the room as a whole.

Awesome Martin Logan audio systems in Florida:D:D:D

Satch
 
Another enjoyable day was had listening to music in Tampa Saturday.

2-3 hours listening to someone else's system is not enough time to get a true feel for what it can produce. You almost need to trade homes for a day to really appreciate what other systems can do.

Craig's room treatments are the most decorative I have seen with the use of fabric he purchased in Thailand of a previous trip. You would not know they were acoustic panels. Any of you trying to convince you other half of your need to have panels in your room show them pics of Craig's room.
The addition of his Electrocompaniet Nemo's has moved the sound of an already great system up one more notch. It is a fuller sound and the separation of voice and instruments seemed effortless with that much power. On a previous trip Craig's Wadia CDP was being run direct to his smaller Electrocompaniet mono blocks. He is now again using his Art Audio preamp and we all liked the bit of warmth it added to the sound. Craig's just gets better with each change I am not sure what he can try next but I think he has visions of CLSs or maybe CLXs in his future.
And if you are in need of great chewy chocolate brownies just ring his door bell and I'm sure Craig will tie on his apron while your listening to his system.

The sound of Alan's system has made big step forward this year with the removal of large piece of cabinetry between his Summits and the ability to move them away from the wall more. With the first few notes I heard it was not the system I had heard last year. There was a much better image and the stage of sound was much fuller and wider than the previous setup. And all of this improvement without his ModWright pre that is in for repairs. We listened to a few different combinations of his electronics and finally settled on his Chanel Islands? passive pre to his Belles amp. I will let him explain the different combinations we tried as I know I will not get it in the right order.
One of the items on our list on Saturday was to try some acoustic panels in his room. We stated by listening without them and decided on which combination or equipment sounded best then brought in 2 bass traps and 4 full range panels. After moving them around a bit we settled on 4' tall bass traps in the front corners, 6' tall panels behind each summit and the last panels along the floor/wall intersection of the front wall between the 6'panels.

It was an immediate success with the sound but not quite so much with Alan's wife Ellen when she walked in from running errands. She seems to be a very light hearted person with fortunately for us a good sense of humor. After the usual greetings she came in and sat down and asked who's panels they were and since she seemed to know Craig the best of all of us visiting I immediately pointed to him and said the were all his even though that was not the case. We all had a good laugh and then proceeded to explain to her our plan for to cover the entire front wall with acoustic fiberglass panels and then upholster it with the fabric of her choice. All she could do was laugh at us and say "You guys are Crazy". I said that was not the first time I had heard that.
In the hours that followed the visit Alan emailed us to say they had come to an agreement and bass traps and panels were in his future in their family room.
We haven't heard all of the details but when we left there were talks of bribes in the form of a new kitchen or diamonds.

Hopefully next weekend will be a trip to George's house. Once again George great pictures but holy crap could you not have used the one of the group with me turned side ways.
 
Craig, Brad, George, and myself all got together today for Part II of our listening caravan, listening to George's Esoteric/Pass/ML Odyssey system. Since we last heard his setup, he had tweaked his Paradigm sub placement, and room treatments. Overall, the soundstage and tonal balance were superb... crisp and detailed from top to bottom, with the sub perfectly dialed-in. We listened to a number of our fave "demo" tracks, and Georges system handled everything we threw at it. The Pass X350.5 is a beast! Our finale was Craig's XRCD version of the classic Sheffield Drum and Track Record, and George's system totally nailed every percussive attack! Those Odyssey's definitely give our CLS and Summit systems a run for the money!!
 
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